The question of the cost to develop custom software is probably the most frequently asked one. Whether you are an enterprise or a start-up, the aspect of cost and budget is always on your mind. While there can be no kind of definitive answer to this question, this article aims at listing out the various factors that come into play while determining the cost of developing custom software for you.

First, let’s understand what exactly is custom software development because only then can you truly understand why it costs so much. Custom software can be understood as “tailor-made” software meant only for you and your business. They are made specifically for your business’s needs. Companies who develop custom software make all the solutions in such a manner that it fits the processes and demands of your business. Whether that be optimizing data security or managing your operations, it’s all according to your needs. As a result of this, the demand in the field of custom software has increased in the last few years. This sustaining growth is due to the fact that businesses are now business are looking for more accuracy and optimization.

Now moving on to the factors that affect the cost of the custom software development. Regardless of the size of your business or its location, the cost comes down to other key aspects that you require from the software. Following we have listed out these factors that affect the costs involved in developing a custom software:

1. The size of the software 

This is probably the most obvious and biggest factor when it comes to the cost of custom software. The size of the custom software determines almost half the cost of the entire project. Consider the following two scenarios. One is a CRM solution or a security application which is premium software that taken up more effort and time in order to build and then lunch the final product. And the other is a simple ERP solution meant for multi-tasking which could be used in a hospital or bank. Which one do you think is cheaper? It is going to be an easier project with fewer components. In order to save time and to get a clearer picture, figure out in the begging stages only what you want as your exact features, so you can save time and effort while explaining it to the development team.

2. Complexity

You could probably consider this as an additional one to the above factor but complexity also plays a big role in establishing the final cost of the project. There are two components in this; i. overall purpose and ii. additional requirements that you’ll have.

The more complex the project gets the more it will cost. Within this comes the points of design, technical requirements, features, etc. All these aspects add to the complexity of the custom software. The degree of complexity also adds to the kinds of tools needs and the time involved in the whole project.

3. Software Development Itself

As you can probably understand the all these factors that determine the cost of the custom software also depend on each other. There are various aspects of developing software. Such as; implementing the designs, front-end development, platforms, back-end development, testing, etc.

Each of these comments takes time and in turn, time takes money.

4. Design

Let’s have a more in-depth look at the design structure and how this affects the cost of the project. There are two areas that are covered under design:

  • UI/UX Design: This refers to the User experience and User interface of the software design. These are important aspects of increasing the engagement levels of the user and also make sure that they come back to your app. The cost of the design can differ based on which type of software you are looking for, B2C or B2B.
  • Creative Design: This is the visual and creative element that comes into the software. It includes the color schemes, graphics, and any other unique design that you want to add to the project depending on the platform. This is one area which you should not shy away from in order to save a little bit of money.

5. Budget and Time

Time plays an important role in the estimation of the cost. This is because if you have a deadline fast approaching then the developers charge an increased rate in order for them to meet the target. Similarly with your budget. In case the budget does not cover all the features that you require then the company is likely to suggest a different approach to making the software for you.

6. Features and Paltforms

This is again an obvious factor when it comes to estimating the cost of your custom software development. If you choose a single platform such as either Web or Andriod or iOS, then the cost is automatically cheaper than if you were to pick all three. In addition to this, even the tools and software used in each of these platforms affect the cost. So have a look at your budget properly and see if you can afford all three platforms and if not then which is your preferred one.

Another important thing you need to plan for is the features you need in the software. Make a list of all the features you absolutely cannot compromise on and then cut down on all the other ones in order to save your budget if needed.

7. Support and Maintenance

Even after the software has been developed there will be a need for updates and maintenance which will cost you extra. This is also an area that you cannot ignore as this is what will determine the functionality of your software in the future. Normally the company you work with for developing the custom software will include this aspect in the final cost at a reasonable rate. 

8. Migrating existing data

Migration of any existing data is irrespective of whether yours is an already existing software or if any data has to be added to your new software. Migration of data needs custom scripts that are then able to take the data from an old system and put it into your new one.